Automatic hood lock



Aug. 11, 1931. y F. VARGO AUTOMATIC HOOD LOCK Filed June 25 1950 Patented Aug. 11, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I'BNK VARGO, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HILDB. Y. ROTH,

TOLEDO, omo

aurom'rrc noon Loci:

Application filed June 23,

My invention has for its object to provide an eificient locking device for hood covers of automobiles and the like. The particular object of my invention is to provide a locking bolt on the louver section of the hood cover, which will engage fixed parts to prevent thievery or tampering with the parts contained under the hood. In the preferred form, the locking bolt is automatically operated by the door of the body of the car.

The invention may be contained in structures that vary in their details of construction and, to illustrate a practical application of the invention, 1 have selected one form of construction as an example of the difl'erent embodiments of'the invention and shall describe it hereinafter. .The lock selected, as an example, is shown in the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a section of the hood cover and cowling brokeh away to illustrate the installed position of the lock. Fig. 2 illustrates the rear half of the locking means; Fig. 3 ,illus trates the front half of the locking means. Fig. 4; illustrates a view of a section taken on the plane of the line 44 indicated in shown, the The lockf n the form of construction hood lock 1 hasa locking bar 2. ing bar 2 is slidably supported in a pair of brackets 3 and 5. The brackets 3 and 5 are located in alignment with each other along the lower edge of the inside of each louver section of the hood cover 4 and may be at tached thereto by bolts or rivets 6. p

With this purpose in view, a locking socket 7 is placed in ali nment with the bracket on the flange 8 o the radiator 9 or some other relatively immovable supportive part on the automobile. similar in construction to the bracket 3 and is adapted to receive the end of the locking bar 2 when'the bar is moved toward it. In order to actuate the movement of the locking bar, a key bar 10 is-located, so that one of its ends makes contact with an end of the locking bar 2. The ke bar 10 may be slidably supported in a braclret 12 and an The locking socket is i 1930. Serial No. 462,989.

opening 13. in the dash or cowl board 14. The bracket 12 is similar in construction to the bracket 3 and is located in alignment with the bracket 3 on the louver section of the hood cover 4. The bracket 12 ed to receive an end of the locking bar 2. It will be seen that when the key bar 10 is pushed. forward with relation to the automobile, it will move through the opening 13 in the cowl board 14, and the; bracket 12,

is adapt- The locking bar 2 and the key bar 10 are caused to return to their initial unlocked position, preferably by the action of the spiral springs 15 and 16. The spring '15 is wound spirally about the locking bar 2 and located so that one of its ends abuts against the bracket 5 and tile other end abuts against a pin, or button, 8, which ma be located on the bar 2. The tendency oi the s ring 15 is to resist forward movement 0 the locking bar 2 and will be distorted when a force is applied to push the bar forward and in a locked position. When this force is removed, the locking bar 2 will be caused to return to its unlocked position by the action of the sprin 15. Also a spring 16 is wound s irally about the key bar 10 and located so t at one of its ends abuts against the dash or cowl board 14 about the opening 13, and the other end of the spring abuts against a pin or button 18, which ma be located on the key bar 10. It will be seen that when the force, re ired to move the key bar 10 forward an?! in a locked position, is removed, the spring 16 will cause the return of the bar 10 to its unlocked position. Q

In order to provide for holding the key bar 10 and the looking bar 2 in their locked positions, and for automatically releasing the bars from such locked position, the key bar 10 may be extended inside and along the side panel 20 of the tonneau and through an opening 21 in the jamb 22 of the tonneau door 25. The opening 21 is substantially the same in diameter as the diameter of the key bar10. The key bar is limited on its outward movement with relation 10 to the door jamb, by a pin or button 23 located on the bar 10, which will make contact with the edges of the opening 21 at the point of desired outward movement of the key bar 10. Therefore, when the tonneau door 25 is closed, its edge will push the key bar 10 forward against the tension of the spring 16 to alocked position. As the key bar 10 moves, it pushes before it the looking bar 2 against the tension of thespring 15 to a locked position. By opening the tonneau door, the contortion of the two springs 15 and 16 causes the return of the bars 10 and 2 to their initial unlocked position) I claim:

1. In combination with a hood cover, a locking bar slidably supported on the hood cover, a key bar slidably supported on the hood cover and located to make contact with the end of the sliding bar, a socket adapted to receive an end of the locking bar, an elastic means for moving both bars relative to the socket.

2. In combination with an automobile hood cover, a bar slidably supported on the hood cover, a socket adapted to receive the bar, a key bar slidably supported in the cowl board of the automobile to make contact and move thefirst named bar into the socket to hold the hood cover as against an opening movement.

3. In combination with a hood cover, a bar slidably supported in a pair of brackets, the brackets being located in alignment at opposite ends of the hood cover, a key bar slidably supported in a third bracket on the hood cover in alignment with the first named brackets, a socket adapted to receive an end of the first named bar, and means for moving the key bar into one of the first named brackets to push the first named bar into the socket.

In witness whereofI have hereunto signed my name to this specification.

FRANK ,VARGO. 

